Tuloso-Midway ISD board approves tentative teacher furloughs

CORPUS CHRISTI - Tuloso-Midway ISD teachers will report back to work in July three days later and miss out on pay for those days if a bill to allow teacher furloughs is approved by Gov. Rick Perry.

State law requires teachers to work a total of 187 days in a school year.

Tuloso-Midway Independent School District trustees approved a measure Monday tentatively to allow teacher furloughs in which classroom educators would miss three noninstructional days before school starts July 18.

Instead of reporting back to school July 11 for planning and training, they will return July 13, Interim Superintendent Sue Nelson said. A third furlough day will take place Jan. 2, a day originally scheduled for staff training.

"I'm not happy about this," Nelson said. "I'm sorry we were put in this position. The state put us in this position."

Earlier this year, district trustees approved three-day furloughs for all other employees from the interim superintendent to custodians, who work more than 187 days in a school year, Nelson said.

Employees of the year-round district who aren't teachers likely will take their furloughs during intercessions, Nelson said.

She estimated the furloughs could save the district about $265,000.

No community members spoke in front of trustees about the idea of furloughs during a public hearing Monday, Nelson said.

District officials already cut department budgets by 15 percent, froze salaries, including that of the superintendent position, and limited athletic travel to within 50 miles, round trip, except for University Interscholastic League events.